A Body of Work...Days 1 through 4

Our days of henna and photography/videography for A Body of Work did not go exactly as planned but still resulted in gorgeous designs and amazing photos and footage. And the shooting continues.

Day 1 (Monday): The expected morning delivery of Paul's new lighting and backdrop support systems from B&H Photo in New York didn't materialize -- a saga unto itself -- so he improvised with existing equipment in order to shoot some preliminary footage of me prior to the henna application. We shot some beautiful body and movement studies which gave us ideas of what we might shoot after Kelly's henna application.

Paul updated the equipment delivery for the studio instead of his house and expected delivery early Tuesday, so we were more or less on schedule.

Kelly came by the studio to report her own potential disaster: She had made a big fresh batch of henna for the shoot and placed it in the oven with the light on to warm the henna to slightly warmer than room temperature (this initiates the dye release, as I understand it). Her daughter turned the oven on to preheat for baking cookies and unintentionally baked the henna...although for an undetermined time. Kelly was going to test the henna and see how it worked after possibly being overheated.

When it rains, it pours.

Day 2 (Tuesday): I arrived at the studio around 9:30. Kelly would come by later after Paul and I set up the new lights, backdrops and scrim. The B&H saga continued...The packages had been as close as Deerfield (30 minutes away) before inexplicably being shipped back to B&H. Needless to say, Paul spent a stressful morning on the phone with UPS and B&H trying to sort out this mess. B&H had recalled the original order and shipped out a second which was due for delivery sometime before the end of business Tuesday. Crazy.

Meanwhile, Kelly's henna appeared to be fine, so she planned to move forward without having to start from scratch.

Paul and I shot some additional footage before Kelly arrived. Our plan to start the henna process in the morning was obviously scrapped. We shot some other things including more body and movement studies, as well as Kelly mixing henna.

Kelly began applying her designs to my back. My hope had been that we would be able to do a lot of the application while I lay on a massage table. But such was not the case. I had to sit upright for her to apply on my back. Stupidly I sat on my antique piano stool with no padding. I had no idea how long I'd been sitting there -- my butt numb, my arms and back exhausted and tense -- until we finished, and Paul informed us we been at it for 2 hours and 20 minutes!

Our process was for Kelly to apply sections of her design, then Paul to take photos and video of the progression.

Next she worked on my hands, and before we knew it, it was 1:30 AM. She taped my hands and back to prevent smudging while the paste released its dye onto my skin, and we left Hart Yoga at 1:45.

Day 3 (Wednesday): I arrived at the studio around 9:30 AM after dropping my son off at preschool. We set up and began shooting and applying henna shortly after 10:00. Kelly finished my hands (palms and undersides of fingers), continued with my back and shoulders, and began making her way up the back of my head. Paul continue to document the progression of the henna as it expanded coverage on my back, neck and shoulder. We finally took a lunch break in the late afternoon before I picked up my son to take him home shortly after 5 PM.

I was back at the studio by 6 and we continued with my legs. For the first time I was able to lie down for the application of the henna! It was a relatively short-lived reprieve, as I had to stand while Kelly designed the upper leg. Shooting time allowed the henna paste to dry enough for me to lie down for the second leg. More standing application for the upper leg and some other areas (shoulder, maybe? The details have already blurred.)

By 11:30 we had to decide whether to continue on (second wind, anyone?) or stop where we were and hope we could finish the next day. Kelly pushed through and began working on my chest mandala. We were all getting punchy, and as I stood for the photo and video session, the dried henna paste from my legs began to flake off every time I switched my position. It was everywhere.

Once again, it was 1:30 AM before we left the studio -- tired, punchy, and unsure of where this was leading us.

We were well behind schedule. The application had taken longer than expected, and the equipment delivery delay had set us back a full day. Kelly had scrambled for additional childcare (Cynthia McLaughlin, you are a goddess!! Thank you), and we had all rearranged our lives to be able to finish. How could we get it all done and cleaned up before Paul had to leave Thursday afternoon for work, and I had to teach a class at 6 PM?

Day 4 (Thursday): Back to the studio in the morning, dragging after another night of less than 5 hours of sleep, I vacuumed up the henna droppings before Kelly and Paul arrived so that we didn't track it all over the place and dye the bottoms of our feet unintentionally.

Today's agenda was to finish the application and the documentation of the process. Our intention was to finish between 12 and 1 PM. Ha!

Kelly continued embellishing the chest mandala, connecting the chest to the shoulders and back with an elaborate collar of henna. Her designs continued up and over my shaved head, down my forehead and onto the top of my nose.

I had no idea what to expect -- much as I had experienced throughout this process since I couldn't really see what she was applying most of the time. The sensation of the henna flowing onto my scalp was cool and tingly, and Paul's comments as Kelly designed made me eager to see it for myself. My only viewing was in Paul's digital camera, but it blew me away.

The complex designs on my back continued over my head and onto my face. It looked a little like a small, elegant sea creature had adhered itself to my head. It was gorgeous!

We were pressed for time. It was about 2:30 PM. We still had to document the final designs and strike the backdrops and equipment before we all had to leave. I would have a short time to deal with things at home before returning to teach my first class since Monday morning. I must have been out of my mind to think that this was a good idea!

The photos Paul took were stunning. He took some digital snapshots with my camera after the real photo and video session, and these are a sampling.

He also used his vintage 1920s-era large-format camera to snap some BW Polaroids. Just amazing.

We'll be taking more over the next few days. Stay tuned!

Preparations continue for A Body of Work

Paul and Kelly and I continue to work on plans for our project, working out the logistics of A Body of Work.

We will begin transforming the yoga studio into a photo studio Monday afternoon, loading in lights, backdrops, scrims and all the other equipment needed for the shoot. Our first shoot will take place that evening, consisting of images and footage of the unadorned body (me), as well as the preparations for beginning to apply the henna designs.

Tuesday will be the most daunting day of the project -- the henna marathon. Kelly hopes to be able to complete most, if not all, of the major henna designs in one day. It is a huge undertaking and no doubt will be an exhausting 12+ hours of work. Paul will be photographing and videotaping the process throughout.

Any final henna application will happen Wednesday, and from that point forward Paul will be shooting images and footage of the henna as it naturally darkens and ultimately fades from the skin. We'll be shooting yoga poses and movement through the weekend and sporadically through the next week or two until the designs are just a memory (and a lot of digital images!). Editing and moving into the next phases of the project will occur later.

I will be channeling my most zen self on Tuesday, as I will have to be still for long periods of time, sometimes standing, sometimes seated, and (mercifully) sometimes lying down.

Challenges for me will include:

• Moving when I have to without flaking off the henna paste as it's drying -- difficult with arms and legs, in particular. 
• Scratching an itch without disturbing the henna.
• NOT scratching an itch.
• Not moving and thereby jarring Kelly's hand as she applies henna.
• Oh, and spending the day with no clothes on -- even amongst friends. I'm sure after the first hour I won't even think about it, but I literally won't be able to cover up until after the paste has dried completely. 
• And probably many more that I will discover as the day progresses.

I can only imagine what challenges Paul and Kelly will face, the most obvious being Kelly's hand cramping. (Kelly and Paul, feel free to comment on this!)

Hair update: 

• Tuesday: Shaved the head -- SMOOTH!
• Wednesday: The stubble began to poke through and my head felt a little scratchy. When I took my t-shirt off, it got stuck trying to go over my head! It was like having a Velcro head.
• Thursday: My head felt like sandpaper.
• Friday: Softer, not as "sharp" feeling.

Needless to say, I'll be shaving it smooth again just prior to the henna application and shooting. And the overall response to the new look has been positive.

My mom is here visiting for the better part of a month and was dreading seeing me with no hair (like it was so long before?!), but after I shaved it all off, even she admitted that it didn't look bad. "You've got a good-shaped head." Whew! But what will she think of all the henna? The jury is out.

Fortunately I was able to take her to Friday Night Henna at the studio last night to demystify the henna process and so she could experience for herself how wonderful henna is! She met Kelly and seemed at ease.

Honestly, Maxine, you are the best!

I know I have challenged her on many occasions with things that are beyond her sphere of familiarity -- way beyond! -- and she has risen to the challenge every time. What an amazing human being she is!

Keep watching this space for updates...

A Body of Work -- Introduction

For the last few months, I have been working with henna artist Kelly Flaherty and photographer Paul Teeling on the planning stages of a project tentatively called, A Body of Work, which examines the intersection of three art forms -- henna body art, photography and yoga.

Since my first henna design by Kelly, I have been intrigued by this form of temporary artistic expression and wanted to explore it further. I half-jokingly asked Kelly if she had ever done a full-body application of henna, and although she hadn’t, she was eager to explore it. We knew early on that if we were to engage in such a huge undertaking, it had to be documented. I had casually talked with Paul about a yoga and photography collaboration previously, and while it never materialized then, this project piqued his interest. Paul’s idea was to go beyond merely documenting a process or an end result; he proposed creating not only artistic photographs but also a video of moving art, a video that will stand on its own as a work of art.

We have discussed design elements and themes for the body art; style and content of the photographic element; yoga poses that might best integrate the henna designs into movement. We have explored what this all means to each of us – now, at this point in our lives.

And although I can speak only for myself, A Body of Work represents a culmination of a lifetime of creative expression. In a literal sense the human body is a canvas onto which is painted a design concept. But the body is also a container for all the creative work that has led each of us to this moment in our lives and our careers. For me as a yoga teacher and practitioner, the human body is a work of art in and of itself, constantly changing and evolving, beautiful in all its imperfections. The body tells its own story.

It is one thing to document the body, to document painting or drawing or other forms of visual art. But when the art is drawn on the body; when the story of a life is written on the body, albeit abstractly; when movement and stillness are expressed in photography and videography, it goes beyond documentation. It is this confluence of yoga, henna designs, photography and video as an expression of three artists at this point in time that is truly exciting to me.

We are now a week away from the daunting task of Kelly applying hours of designs onto my entire body; Paul photographing and videoing that process; and my creating movement and stillness through yoga once the henna has settled into its deepest hues. For my part I have tried to keep myself out of the sun to create as much contrast as possible between the sepia-burgundy henna stains and my own skin tones.

And today I shaved my head.

 

             Short             Shorter            Shaved

I’ve worn my hair very short for the past few years, so shaving my head shouldn’t have been a big deal, but as the day approached I realized that removing one of the major physical markers of identity is a big deal. I initially thought I would do it the day Kelly applied henna to my head, but as we discussed various practical aspects of the project, it became clear that I would have to shave my head well in advance of the actual henna day. I wanted to give my head time to absorb some color and blend more with my face, neck and shoulders. But I also needed some time to get accustomed to the look. Shaving my head and applying henna designs to my entire body (including my face and head) all on the same day may have been too much – for me, as well as for my family and friends.

As we move into A Body of Work at its most intense phase in mid-July, I will continue to write about it and share some of those thoughts and experiences. Keep watching this space…

Friday Night Henna with Kelly Flaherty -- July 8, 2011, 6-8 PM

Don't miss the fun! This Friday, July 8, 2011, Kelly Flaherty of Henna Elements, will be at Hart Yoga to apply her beautiful henna designs to your body! 

Join us from 6-8 PM, and feel free to bring your favorite refreshments, your friends, your significant others...it's a party!

Just as you choose jewelry to wear, you can choose temporary henna designs to express yourself.

Henna is a safe, natural dye derived from the crushed leaves of the henna plant, a flowering shrub which grows in the hot, arid regions of North Africa and the Middle East. Unlike ink tattooing, henna application does not pierce the skin. A paste is applied to the skin in a hand-drawn design, staining the first few layers of the skin a rich burgundy color that lasts one to two weeks. The design will gradually disappear as you naturally exfoliate.

Traditionally henna was used to paint elaborate and auspicious designs on the hands and feet of brides to bless the marriage and nurture fertility. This 9000-year-old art form has spread across the globe, and now men and women alike adorn themselves with henna art to celebrate weddings, holidays, births and coming-of-age rituals in many cultures. Many people have the designs applied just for fun.

The process of receiving henna is relaxing, both for the recipient and the onlookers. Many people report a deep sense of ease while having henna applied.

Designs can be as simple or elaborate as you choose, with prices starting at only $5.

Friday Night Henna is a monthly event at Hart Yoga -- second Fridays are Henna Fridays!